A par level is the amount of a product a business aims to have on hand at a set point, such as opening time or the day before a delivery. Staff count what is there and order enough to bring stock back up to par.
Par levels are set from past usage, supplier delivery days and how long stock keeps. A venue that is delivered to twice a week needs enough to cover trading until the next delivery, plus a small buffer. Higher-selling items get higher pars, and perishable items get lower pars to limit waste.
Hospitality venues commonly use par levels for bar stock, produce and packaging, often with a count sheet or an app that suggests the order quantity. Retailers use a similar idea for replenishing shelf stock from the back room or a distribution centre.
Pars become wrong when trade changes, such as in a new season, after a menu change or when an event runs. A par set once and never reviewed leads either to stock-outs or to over-ordering and wastage. Ordering to par also assumes the count is accurate, so careless counts produce poor orders.
Used well, par levels make ordering quick, consistent and less dependent on one experienced person. Reviewing them against actual sales a few times a year keeps them useful.